Euanbairdspeech.Pdf
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-- SPEECH -- EUAN BAIRD RECIPIENT OF THE WALLACE AWARD® OCTOBER 23, 2006 Ladies and Gentlemen Its a very great honour for me to be here tonight and also a kind of miracle . Samuel Johnson once said that ”much can be made of a Scotsman, if only you catch him early ” I was lucky enough to be caught early by my Danish wife Angelica, when she came to Cambridge. Of course she claims, that I am the one who caught her. Angelica followed me all over the world, turning herself into a well known journalist on the way, as I served Schlumberger in every capacity, from ambitious young field engineer to Chairman and CEO. 1 Angelica has raised our two remarkable daughters Camilla and Maiken. Now she grabs very available opportunity to be in New York with our adorable grandchildren Brita, Euan and Maia Anita. Angelica has been a tower of strength throughout the best and the worst of times, and I love her. My parents ,May and Dugald Baird ,were Scots and proud of it. Both were doctors who devoted their lives to the creation of the National Health Services , My father was a professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Aberdeen University. My mother ran all the hospitals in the North of Scotland. Due to their labour leanings, they were called “traitors to their class” 2 But my parents were the first couple to ever receive the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen together. Three years ago, oddly enough in Aberdeen, I suffered a stroke, which was nearly fatal . I had recently retired from Schlumberger and become the Chairman of Rolls Royce. The medical care in Aberdeen University Hospital as well as Mt Sinai in New York saved my life . The devotion of my family and close friends saw me though from that terrible moment to this joyful one tonight. I am proud to have been born and raised in Scotland. And I would like to thank the Scottish American Foundation for honoring me tonight. 3 This is a great moment for a boy from Aberdeen and I am truly grateful . I ask you to join me in a toast to Scotland . And most importantly I ask you to toast life. ” TO LIFE” 4.